SAN JOSE -- A woman was found dead at a South San Jose home Friday, sending shock waves through a quiet, tight-knit neighborhood and putting the city on pace to topple 20-year-old homicide record as police searched for a 50-year-old suspect in the killing.

The woman's body was discovered in the entryway of a home in the 6100 block of Evangeline Drive just before 8 a.m. Police did not announce a cause of death but said they found enough clues to suggest it was a slaying, and Friday evening said that they are searching for Troy Edward Nosenzo, who lives at the home.

Officials did not disclose the name of the victim, but records show Patricia Annette Nosenzo, 54, also lived at the home.

Police believe the suspect fled in a gray 2006 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck with a license plate of 8L70015.

Dispatchers received a 911 hang-up call from the home at 5:38 a.m., said San Jose police Officer Jose Garcia, and tried calling back with no success.

However, the vagueness of the emergency call forced them to prioritize other active calls, including a string of nearby auto thefts and a car that was crashed into a home about five miles away.

"It was totally unrelated but it drained officers from that district," Garcia said.

To further complicate entry, arriving officers found a pair of dogs, including a Rottweiler, in the front yard acting aggressive, and animal control had to be summoned before police could access the house.

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Officers found the front door unlocked, and opened it to call out to anyone inside the house, and spotted the victim face down on the ground, fully clothed and wearing a hooded sweatshirt.

They initially thought it might be a medical emergency and paramedics were summoned, but once it was determined that the woman was dead, homicide investigators were brought to the scene, Garcia said. It was San Jose's 41st homicide of the year, surpassing the 2011 total and approaching the 20-year record of 43 tallied in 1997, all with nearly two months left in the year.

Neighbors said it was "highly unusual" to see the coroner's vehicle, a mobile-command van and multiple patrol cars in the area.

"For us to get one police car, everyone raises their head" said Judy Hill, a resident of the neighborhood for 33 years.

Hill said she would frequently see the couple who live at the home walking their dog.

"They didn't really interact, and we are a friendly neighborhood," she said.

Other neighbors mentioned that occasionally a young child would stay at the home and that the couple had lived there for about 10 years.

Police said they are looking into whether a couple of recent disturbance calls might be related to the case.

Anyone with information about Nosenzo's whereabouts is asked to call 408-277-5283. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call 408-947-7867.